Lattice Semiconductor Corporation

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation is a United States based manufacturer of ultrahigh-performance non volatile programmable logic devices .( Nasdaq : LSSC)
Lattice was founded by Rahul Sud and Raymond P Capece . Lattice was the world's first to pioneer high volume production of non volatile memory CMOS EEPROM with its Ultramos process . Lattice pioneered the fabless semiconductor business model ,making manufacturing deals in exchange for licenses to CMOS EEPROM technology with USA: Synertek Inc, VLSI Technology Inc, National Semiconductor ,Japan:Seiko Semiconductor, NMB Semiconductor, Europe: ST Microelectronics

Xilinx ,founded one year later by Ross Freeman in 1984 followed closely in adopting the fabless business model .Therafter most of the industry adopted the model ,today generating over $ 100Billion in annual sales.

TSMC ,the world's first silicon foundry emerged as a result of the demand in 1987 .

Founding and early Days :

Dr. Rahul Sud ,USA Electronics Man of the Year ,Semiconductor Memories ,left his job as Director of Memory Engineering ,Intel to found Lattice Semiconductor (Incorporated Tigard, Oregon ,May 6,1983) with $ 1.1 million from a group of local Portland ,Oregon entrepreneurs : Harry Merlo (Chairman Louisiana Pacific Corporation, world's 2nd largest timber company),Tom Moyer, Owner Moyer Theatres(Largest movie theatre chain on the west coast, John Piacentini, Owner Seven Eleven stores ,Oregon, Jerry Pratt, Portland businessman ,Norman Winnigstad, Chairman Floating Point Systems ( Defunct, 1986), and Max Birnbach, Owner, Roses Delicatessen, Portland Oregon. Rahul was strongly assisted in writing business plans by former Electronics Magazine Editor ,Raymond Capece from New York ,who he named co-founder.Rahul Sud & Rich Basecki conceived and implemented Lattice's proprietary Ultramos process which beat both market leaders Intel and SEEQ as well as all other companies worldwide to become the world's first high volume manufacturer of non volatile memory technology.

Key founding team members include :

Rich Basecki, VP Technology. Rich had developed the process for Rahul Sud's revolutionary SRAM design that killed market leader's Intel's SRAM business and took 95% of thw world SRAM market share. Prior to that Rich had developed the process for the MOSTEK MK 4116 the world leading legendary 16K DRAM that took 95% of the world market share.

A Roger Pease ,a former partner of Touche Ross (Now Deloitte and Touche) joined Lattice as its first Chief Financial Officer .Roger was instrumental in helping Rahul Sud raise $ 50 Million to build Lattice to volume manufacturing and a $ 50 Million a year run rate.

Jay McBride headed Physical Design .Jay had previously done the physical design of the worlds fastest SRAM the Inmos IMS140O designed by Rahul Sud & Kim Hardee. Key Physical Design experts working with Jay included Dave Tennet (formerly working form Rahul at Intel) and Ken Campbell (Formerly SEEQ)

Pamela Aebi Jones ,joined Lattice as Vice President Human Resources and was instrumental in helping Rahul Sud recruit key people .

Terry Jones ,former VP Sales of AMD and right hand man of legendary founder, CEO of AMD Jerry Sanders

Key founding engineers :

SRAM: Rod Tesch ,Paul Zagar, Jack Price
EEPROM: Richard Jolly
Generic Array Logic: John Turner, David Rutledge, Greg Josephson, Roy Darling, Jonathan Spitz
DSP: Dieter Spaderna